Howard Skempton (1947) is an English composer, pianist, and accordionist. Since the late 1960s, when he helped to organise the Scratch Orchestra, he has been associated with the English school of experimental music. Skempton's work is characterised by stripped-down, essentials-only choice of materials, absence of formal development and a strong emphasis on melody. He teaches composition at the Birmingham Conservatoire.
His accordion pieces, for a small instrument of 12 basses, are thoroughly charming melodic works usually of short duration, dances or developments of overlapping chords, very often dedicated to composers and musicians; Laurence Crane, Christian Wolff, John Tilbury, etc.